Good Intentions
by Apesshipper
Summary: When Steve is forced to go to IAB, his family pays the price. UPDATED!
1. Default Chapter

Good Intentions

            Amanda Bentley, Madison Wesley, Cheryl Banks, and Steve Sloan sat together, waiting.  Mark Sloan came out of the emergency room and they all stood before Madison finally asked the question on everyone's mind.  "How is she?"

            "Stable.  She hasn't woken up yet, but she's pretty heavily medicated.  She's strong; she'll pull through."  They'd brought Jaden Deveroux into the ER so beaten and bloody that he barely recognized her and, for a brief few seconds, he'd thought they would lose her.  "Steve, you can go see her."

            He nodded.  "Dad, I need to talk to you…and Cheryl."

            Mark nodded.  "Madison and I will go check on her."  Amanda volunteered, gently touching Steve's arm.

            "Thanks."

            Mark led Steve and Cheryl to the lobby and shut the door.  "All right, Steve, what's wrong?"

            "I should have told you both this the other day.  I should have told Jaden too."  He paused and then handed his father the note he'd found at a crime scene.  Mark read it silently and handed it back to his son.

            "What's this about IAB?"  Cheryl asked.

            "I had a meeting with them this afternoon, on lunch break.  There are three dirty cops in our precinct."

            "Who knew about the meeting?"  Mark asked.

            "No one.  I didn't want you or Jaden to worry and I didn't want Cheryl to get involved.  Just me and the two IAB I talked to."

            Cheryl thought silently.  She knew what a big thing it was for Steve to even consider telling IAB and, although she didn't like the fact that he'd excluded her, she understood.  He was protective, everyone's big brother.  "So you think Jaden was hurt by at least one of those five cops?"

            "Who else could it be?  Who else would know about me talking to IAB?  That's not the only thing that bothers me though."  Mark and Cheryl both looked interested.  "Cheryl's the only one at work that knows about Jaden.  I mean, even here at the hospital, not many people know we're seeing each other.  Why go after her?  It would have been easier to get to me directly."

            Mark nodded.  "Just Amanda, Maddie, Jesse, and I know.  Well, and a few of the pediatrics.  Someone had to have been following you at some time."

*****

_            He lay there quietly, not asleep, but not wanting to wake her up either.  It was one of their rare nights together alone and he couldn't concentrate.  She hadn't said anything about it, just fallen asleep with her head on his chest, her hair soft against his skin.  He wondered if he was right to keep them all out of it, her, his dad, and even his partner, but as he looked at her now, vulnerable and beautiful, he knew he'd made the right choice.  If she got involved, got hurt, he'd never forgive himself.  He tried to concentrate on something else, their plans for the weekend, their upcoming wedding, but his mind wouldn't leave work._

_            "Steve?"  Her voice was quiet in the darkness; he hadn't realized that she was awake again._

_            "What's wrong?"  He asked, kissing the top of her head._

_            "I was about to ask you the same thing."  She looked up at him, her eyes piercing into him, as always.  She was as good as his father at reading his moods.  "Is it work?"_

_            "Yeah."  He confessed._

_            "A case?"  She frequently helped with his murder cases and was pretty good sometimes, although he never stopped worrying about her.  She was a doctor, not a cop._

_            "No."_

_            "Cheryl?"  She knew that he viewed his partner as much his sister as Amanda or Carol, his 'real' sister, the prodigal child of the Sloan family._

_            "No."_

_            "Then what is it, baby?"  She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.  "How do I know how to help if you can't tell me what's wrong?"_

_            He hugged her gently.  "Did you ever stop to think that maybe you can't help?"_

_            "No."  She answered, causing him to smile._

_            "Did you work on the wedding anymore?"_

_            "You're changing the subject."_

_            "Yes, I am."  She smiled at him.  "Are you sure you want to wait until the benefactor's ball to tell them?"  She, his dad, his dad's girlfriend, and two other friends all worked at Community General hospital together and the benefactor's ball was coming up soon.  All doctors were ordered to attend._

_"Liven up the dull thing.  I hate going."  She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and, although she looked perfect anywhere she went, she liked private, casual parties best._

_"So do I."  Silence filled the room and he held her close to him until they fell back to sleep._

_*****_

            "Last night.  We went there after BBQ Bob's."  Steve said, his mind coming back to the hospital lounge.

            "I'm gonna go back to the precinct."  Cheryl finally said.  "Nose around, see what I can pull up."

            Steve nodded reluctantly.  "Be careful."

            Mark looked at him.  "You couldn't have prevented this."

            Steve studied his father.  "There's something else.  We wanted to tell you all at once, at the ball."  He paused, not sure why he was letting this secret slip.  "I asked her to marry me two weeks ago…and she said yes."  
            "You're getting married?"  Mark asked, amazed, and Steve nodded.  "Congratulations…and it's still not your fault."

            "You can't tell Amanda, Jesse, or even Maddie."

            "I won't."  Mark said solemnly.  "Has she set a date yet?"

            Steve nodded.  "March 11th."

            "I think she keeps some clothes in her office; I'll go see if there's anything she can wear besides that hospital gown."

            Steve nodded.  "Thanks.  I left Marta and Roscoe in there for the time being.  Can they stay at the beach house tonight?"  Marta was Jaden's ocicat and Roscoe was Jaden and Steve's black Labrador retriever; both lived inside Jaden's condo with her, but the condo had now turned into a crime scene.

            "Sure.  I've got some time before classes and rounds; I'll take them home now."

            Steve tried to smile.  "Thanks, Dad."

            "She'll be okay, Steve, I promise."  They both went their separate ways, Mark up to Jaden's office and Steve to her hospital room.

            Amanda looked up when Steve came into the hospital room.  She knew that Jesse needed vacation, but she wished that he was there.  It was one of the times that the whole family, as it were, should be together.  "Steve, is there anything that you need?  Anything that I can do to help?"

            He shook his head.  "Cheryl's back at the station, investigating, and Dad's getting her some clothes while he takes Marta and Roscoe to the beach house."

            "Okay, well, I'm going to get back to the lab.  If you need anything, come get me, okay?"

            He smiled slightly at her.  "Okay.  Thanks, Amanda."  She nodded and left.

            Madison stood.  "If you need me to sit with her so you can go back to work or if you need me to get you anything, if you even need company, I'll be in my office."

            Steve nodded.  His relationship with Madison was really undefined.  Sometimes he felt like her son, but she never felt like his mother, just a good friend.  She was the only one of his dad's relationships that he, Jesse, and Amanda had ever been able to agree on, probably because she made Mark happy.  "Thanks, Madison."

            "And I'll bring you some hospital food tonight around dinnertime."  She said before leaving.

            Everyone had left and he sat on the side of the bed, holding her hand.  "Hey.  It's just you and me now."  He brushed a strand of brown hair out of her face as he thought back three years.

*****

_            He'd taken Cheryl to a club for her birthday, a way that they could both relax and it kept her from picking up guys that he would have to chase off later.  It wasn't that he didn't want Cheryl to go out, have fun, but judging from her ex-husband, she had awful taste in men.  Besides, the neighborhood around the jazz club wasn't the best and he didn't like Cheryl going there alone during the night.  They'd walked into the club and both fallen in love: Cheryl with the "old-time" jazz feeling of the place, grand piano, getting dressed up, orchids and glass everywhere, and he had fallen in love with Jaden.  Although she usually bartended there once or twice a week, that night she was alone at one of the tables.  He still remembered what she'd worn, a navy satin dress with a slit in the long skirt.  It was totally Jaden, sitting there alone in that outfit, drinking a __Key West__ Margarita.  Most of the tables had been full and it had been a good excuse to ask if they could sit at her table.  It had been the first time he'd ever seen her smile and after that, he was a goner.  It had been three years, two dating off and on, and one seriously dating.  He'd always known that if he'd asked her to marry him that first night, and if she'd said yes, they would have been together forever._

*****

            He brought his attention back to her in the hospital bed, looking almost helpless.  Whenever you saw Jaden, her looks certainly caught your attention, beautiful deep blue eyes, curly brown hair, long legs, beautiful smile that lit up the room, looking fragile and delicate, almost like a model.  If you took a moment to look further into her, her heart was as beautiful as her body.  She was brilliant, kind, sweet, generous, honest sometimes to a fault, great with people, especially children, and fun.  There were very few places you could go with Jaden and not have fun; it was one of the reasons 'her kids' loved her so much.  She made every day an adventure, every hard task easy, and every shot a piece of cake.  He kissed her gently on the forehead and she turned a little.

            "It's okay, baby.  I'm here.  I'll take care of you.  I'll take care of you."  He should have stayed longer.  He wondered how soon after he left she was hurt.  There was nothing at work that couldn't wait, just finishing up some papers, and then IAB.  Despite what his father said, it was his fault.  He hated turning other cops in, almost never did it, but he had been sure about what they'd done.  He just never foresaw them hurting his Jaden.  He felt something against his hand and smiled as he saw the slender gold band with small round diamond.  "You wore your ring."  He hadn't noticed it before and if anyone else had, they hadn't said anything about it.

*****

            _He squirmed nervously, wondering if they shouldn't be alone.  Maybe he should wait all together.  True, they'd been together for three years, but they'd only been in a serious relationship for one.  What if she said no?  She'd come in before he could reconsider, wearing the same dress she'd worn three years earlier and that she only wore on dates with him now.  "Steve."  Her smile was contagious and he had to smile too._

_            "Hey."  He stood, kissed her, and helped her into her chair.  "How was work?"_

_            "Fine.  No serious injuries or illnesses, everyone's fine."  She worked in the AIDS wing of Community General pediatrics._

_            "Oh.  I need to call Amanda, see if she needs me to take C.J. somewhere tomorrow."  It was all pretend; she knew he had something serious to tell her and he knew that he needed to tell her before he really did chicken out._

_            "How's work?  How's Cheryl?"_

_            "Both are fine.  Dad and I testified in the Adkins case today, so that's over with."_

_            She smiled.  "That's good."  The waitress came and she ordered a __Key West__ margarita, the same drink she'd had the first time they'd met at the club.  "Steve?"  She asked when the waitress had left.  "What's wrong?"_

_            "Nothing's wrong."  The slow tempo of the older versions of jazz music began to play again and he felt the ring in his pocket.  He was sure that she would love the ring itself, but he wasn't sure if she would love the idea of being married._

_            "Then why are you so tense?  If nothing's wrong at work, with your dad or Cheryl, what's wrong?"  She looked worried and he put a hand on top of hers._

_            "I love you."_

_            She smiled.  "That's good.  I love you too.  What's wrong?"  She frowned.  "Do you want to break up?"_

_            He frowned as well.  "I can honestly say that's the last thing I want."  _

_She smiled slightly, still worried.  "Then what?"_

_He leaned over and kissed her.  "That.  And…" He paused.  It had never been hard to talk to her, until now.  "I love you.  I have since the moment we met.  I know that it's not gonna be easy, that with our jobs we might miss as much as we connect, but…I just want to be with you.  I want to marry you and spend the rest of our lives together."  It wasn't what he'd planned to say at all, but it got the general point across.  He took out the box and handed it to her._

_She opened the box and tears began to fall.  He was so afraid that she'd say no he almost said it for her.  "Yes."  It had started as a whisper.  "Yes, I'll marry you.  I want to be your wife."_

_*****_

            He smiled.  They'd had other, longer, talks later, but that's all she'd said.  "Yes, I'll marry you.  I want to be your wife."  There had been so many other things to consider, their jobs, when and where they could take a honeymoon, what size wedding they wanted, and more serious things, like children.  Before, when she'd confessed that specialists had told her she couldn't have children, it hadn't seemed to matter as much, but now she was worried.  She wanted children, she wanted Mark to have grandchildren, and she hadn't wanted him to miss out on being a dad.  It hadn't mattered though, not to him anyway, and he'd finally told her so, but she hadn't believed him.


	2. Chapter 2

            He smiled.  They'd had other, longer, talks later, but that's all she'd said.  "Yes, I'll marry you.  I want to be your wife."  There had been so many other things to consider, their jobs, when and where they could take a honeymoon, what size wedding they wanted, and more serious things, like children.  Before, when she'd confessed that specialists had told her she couldn't have children, it hadn't seemed to matter as much, but now she was worried.  She wanted children, she wanted Mark to have grandchildren, and she hadn't wanted him to miss out on being a dad.  It hadn't mattered though, not to him anyway, and he'd finally told her so, but she hadn't believed him.

            "Steve."  He turned to see his father in the doorway; he'd been out for two hours.  "I brought some clothes.  For you and for her."

            "Thanks, Dad."

            Mark sat.  "Steve, Cheryl can figure it out on her own, but it would be quicker, we could find who hurt her sooner, if we knew who you talked to, which cops you turned in, and why."

            "Robert Duvall, Kevin Greenwood, and Paul Draper killed that witness they were supposed to protect, you know, the call girl that witnessed the commissioner's murder?   And I turned them into Michael Bruno and Dennis Kerns."

*****

            Cheryl sat at her desk, going through Steve's files, trying to remember anything that had to do with another cop, when Mark came into the room.  "I need to talk to you."  She nodded and led him down to the interrogation room.

            "Is something wrong?  Steve?  Jaden?"

            "Steve's fine, under the circumstances, and Jaden's actually ahead of schedule.  She may wake up any minute, but I'd like to have these guys arrested before she does, for her and Steve's sakes."

            Cheryl nodded.  "How can I help? I didn't know what to ask him before."  Mark repeated what Steve had told him.  "Duvall and Greenwood have today off and I'll check on Bruno and Kerns, but Draper was on a stakeout all night last night and had court all day today."

            "One down, four to go."

            "I'll call when I know more."

            "Thanks.  I really need to be there with Steve when she wakes up."  Cheryl nodded and smiled slightly as Mark left.

            He walked out to the parking lot, thinking over the case in his head.  He stopped to call the hospital on his phone when his car blew up not three feet away from him.

*****

            Madison hurried from her car to where Mark was standing, bag in hand.  "Amanda's with Steve.  Are you all right?  What happened?"

            "Car blew up."

            She frowned as she began to doctor the scratches on his face.  "Do you think they know you're on to them or they're still trying to get at Steve?"

            "I don't know.  I just…I don't know."  He hated saying that, to anyone, even her.

            Cheryl ran out of the station.  "I heard.  Are you okay?"

            "Scratches.  Nothing I couldn't have gotten shaving."  He tried to joke.  Then, more seriously, he asked, "What did you find?"

            "Kerns and Bruno showed up today, but Bruno almost got fired a few times already.  I'm looking for the calls, see if he placed one to Greenwood."

            "Not Duvall?"  Mark asked.

            "Duvall turned up dead in his apartment."

            "Murder?"  Madison asked.

            "Heart attack, natural."  Cheryl answered.

            "So it looks like Greenwood and possibly Bruno."  Mark said and Cheryl nodded.  "Any addresses?"

            "No.  Steve and Jaden worked BBQ Bob's last night?"

            Mark nodded.  "I had rounds.  Amanda might have been there, but since I don't recognize any of the names, I doubt she would."

            "That still leaves us with two questions."  Madison said.

            "Just two?"  Mark asked, only half-kidding.

            She nodded.  "How did they know about Steve and Jaden?  Was the car because you're getting too close or because of Steve's going to the IAB?"

*****

            Steve stroked Jaden's hair out of her face and kissed her forehead again as she moaned, coming out of the stupor she'd been in.  He smiled when she opened her blue eyes at him.

            "Steve?"

            "Hey, baby. It's okay. I'm here.  It's all okay."

            "Hurts."

            "I know, baby.  I know."  He pressed a nearby button for the nurse and Amanda to come in.


	3. Chapter 3

            Steve stood impatiently outside Jaden's room.  Amanda and Madison were both in there taking care of her while Jesse finished checking her out.  He knew she was in good hands, but he hated being away from her.  He couldn't get it out of his mind that she was hurt because they were in love.  She could have died and it would have been his fault, just like all the other times.

            "Steve."  Mark's voice brought him back to the hospital.  "Are you all right?"

            "No."

            "We'll get the people who hurt her.  Cheryl's already gotten a few good leads."  Steve looked interested so, reluctantly, Mark spilled the rest of it.  "Did you see any of them there last night?"

            Steve shook his head.  "We were so short-handed.  Jaden was waitressing half the night to help out."  That was after putting in a full day plus overtime at the hospital.  "I should have known we were being followed.  I should have stayed longer this morning."

            "Steve, you're not helping her by beating yourself up."

            "What am I supposed to do, Dad?"  His voice broke.  "Pretend that if I hadn't been with her, she wouldn't have gotten hurt?  If I had been a good cop, I wouldn't have gone to IAB and this would never have been an issue?"

            Mark's heart broke for his son.  "Steve, you're a good cop.  No, you're a great cop.  Everyone think so.  Those other men weren't cops; they just wore the uniform.  You had to turn them in because if you hadn't, somewhere down the line, someone else would have gotten hurt too.  You've always wanted to fix things, take care of people, that's one of the things I'm proudest of about you."

            "Really?"

            Mark nodded.  "Really.  I am proud of you, Steve.  You're not only a good cop, you're a good person and that's even more important."

            Jesse came out of the room.  "Her vitals are all good.  She's strong; from here on out will be a piece of cake.  I don't think there will be any permanent damage at all."

            "Go on.  Go see her."  Mark urged.  Steve nodded and walked to the hospital room.

            "Is he going to be all right?"  Jesse asked, still worried.

            Mark nodded.  "Yeah, I think so."

            "Now that Jaden's better, I want to help with the case."

            "I don't know.  I don't think Steve would like that."  Mark said, wanting to respect his son's wishes this time.

            "So?"  Amanda asked as she and Madison joined them.  "We all want to help.  We've helped on his cases before, even when he didn't want us to."

            Mark frowned, unable to argue.  He knew that they all wanted to help, but wasn't sure what they could do.  "All right.  I need to call Cheryl though."

            "Mark, why don't you three go get some rest?  I'll call her."  Madison volunteered softly.

            He looked at her.  "Are you sure?"

            She nodded.  "I'm sure.  I got sleep last night."  She knew that he didn't get much, if any, and doubted that Amanda or Jesse got much either. They were all a family and she was grateful to finally be included in part of it.

            Steve walked into the hospital room and looked at her, smiling at him.  "I love you."  He sat back down in 'his' chair.  "I just love you so much."

            She nodded.  "I love you too."

            "Still want to marry me?"

            "Always."  He smiled, bent down, and kissed her forehead.


	4. Chapter 4

            Jesse and Amanda rushed into the house, meeting Madison and Mark who were talking in the kitchen.

            "What's wrong?  What happened?"  Amanda asked.

            "Yeah.  Why did Steve want us here so quick?"  Jesse asked.

            Mark smiled and was about explain when Cheryl came in.  "I didn't miss it, did I?"

            "We're still waiting for the preacher."

            "They're getting married?  On such short notice?"  Amanda asked, amazed.

            Madison nodded.  "Steve wanted to marry her before anything else happened."

            Cheryl smiled.  It sounded exactly like her partner.  "Well, the grand jury returned indictments for murder on Kerns, Bruno, and Greenwood today and attempted murder on Bruno and Greenwood."

            "Not on Kerns?"  Madison asked.

            Cheryl shook his head.  "He's going to testify.  With him and Steve both, plus what little testimony Jaden can give, they should go away for a long time."

            "Good."  Amanda said.

            "Dad!"  Steve called from the guest bedroom and Mark headed upstairs to help his son get ready.

            "I think I'll go check on Jaden."  Madison excused herself and went up to the master bedroom.

            Mark smiled as he helped his son.  "Your mother would be so proud of you.  I know I am."

            "Are you disappointed that we didn't try to wait for Carol?"  Steve asked, searching his father's face.

            "Not at all.  I understand."

            "Cheryl's gonna be here if you need us and we're only two hours away.  I'm going to give you my numbers for emergencies."

            "Don't worry about it.  Just go and have a good time."

            "Oh, Dad, I am so nervous."  Steve smiled, almost shy.

            "You'll be fine, son."  Mark tried to reassure him.

            "I…I just hope that Jaden and I will be as happy as you and Mom were."

            He grinned.  "I'm sure you will be."

            Jaden turned to look at Madison.  "I'm nervous."

            "You'll do fine.  Steve really loves you."

            "I really love him too."  She smiled.  "Will you help me with this?"  

Madison helped fix her hair and Amanda knocked on the door.  "Can I help with anything?"

"Yeah.  I can't cover this bruise."  Amanda helped apply the makeup.  "You look beautiful."  Amanda said and Madison agreed.

Mark knocked on the door.  "Everyone ready?"

Jaden nodded.  Madison and Amanda hugged her and then went downstairs.  "Mark…I know that Steve wanted you to be his best man.  Thank you."

"Thank you for being my daughter."  She grinned at him.  "Is Steve ready?"

"Downstairs and waiting."

"Then let's not keep him there long."  She took his arm and walked down the staircase with him.


End file.
